Chris Walby

On acquiring a new airplane my late wife would ask if I had any that I had not flow for 2 or 3 years then consider a 1 for 1 replacement process? Post crashing a favorite Black Horse model and not being able to find the discontinued version in the UK, she managed to source one from somewhere in Europe as a birthday present. On the flip side when she said she was going to buy a horse then clearly my answer was yes, but only one! PS When she built a Peter Miller Ohman the logical place was the kitchen table...result as that set the precedent 🙂

Dare I say it....looking ok?

IMO its not isolated to a manufacturer or even aero modelling. Spare parts are not their focus for making money. Harsh, but don't crash the model then you don't need to buy any spare parts, models are not designed or made to be crash proof. As you say when buying a model, check to see if it has spares and if they are bespoke to that model e.g. props and spinners of unique size etc Through examination of the model with regard to its construction, e.g. thin foam hinges are best reinforced with some tape or very close daily flight checks Bone of contention but replace hardware you don't think is up to the job Tricky one this as I had a RIOT that flew for hundreds of flights on standard equipment and others bin every bit of hardware from day one, so the decision is yours Be prepared to engineer your way around the lack of spare parts, e.g. use a different prop, spinner or fix the broken part until the spare turns up. By not back ordering the part you might be part of the problem! I know of a few suppliers that wait until "x" items are needed and then place the order as its then worth their while for shipping costs...if you don't back order then it appears there is no need for the spares PS - There is an insurance policy, buy the spare part e.g. prop and spinner at the same time as the model....chances are you won't need them and you may even still have them long after the model has left your hanger 😄

"most thermally efficient" compared with the rest of the generating plant in the UK, but as we don't have widespread CHP are we not still wasting +65% of the energy in fossil fuel as rejected heat for electrical generation? I am not saying ICE is any more efficient, but it is point of use energy usage rather than power stations running at part or even no output, but burning gas in readiness for the end of Eastenders?

Bearing in mind that most consumers are no longer with their District Network Operator (DNO), UKPN in my area its extremely unlikely they will upgrade any infrastructure whatsoever. There are cheaper and easier methods available to them along with national grid like frequency modulation, paying industrial consumers to load lop and of course those with smart meters just remotely switching them off for a bit. There are a few EV's about that can charge/discharge so effectively feed back into the network on command to a set level. So if you only ever really need 25% EV capacity you could theoretically sell 75% of your EV's capacity back into the network as many times as you want. The elephant in the room which the DNO can't realistically control at a domestic level (industrial only if the consumer has an issue) is network power quality (harmonics). A quick check at home and over a third of the current drawn is not at 50hz but at 150Hz due to electronic equipment. Its even worse at industrial levels with 25% of our 6MW at the 5th harmonic + a good dose of 7th, 9th, 11th and above. These higher harmonics can be very destructive but the likelihood of your DNO serving you with an improvement notice is next to zero. Next time the power does off, have a quick drive around the local area and you'll find the DNO repairing High Voltage cable ends or terminations as that's where the harmonics find the weak points. PS worth noting that the DNO standard practice for transformers is to run them over their rated capacity if the network is pushed for capacity... PPS Looking at the UK grid and generation right now 31% is gas powered 17% Nuclear 25% Wind (that's just because its windy tonight!) 12% France and Norway Rest is all the others So a question to the EV owners who charge their cars overnight...is it really green electricity?

The electricity does not cost less, its just there is less demand so the price goes down as most of the UK generation can't be brought on or backed off quickly! PS don't forget some generator companies are paid to run, but not produce electricity.....just in case a popular TV program ends and everyone sticks the kettle on! Followed by sewerage companies getting the other end result 30 min later

I normally go for the 100C versions (all of the various cell/capacities I have), but super demanding situations would be tempted for the higher C rating. For 6S5000 at 70 you are not really pushing the battery that hard (even flying at WOT for the entire flight!) so I would go for

Only my very limited experience of using a few different labels over the last 6 years and about 1400 flights, so what do I know. Bearing in mind supply chain issues limit the choice. My vote is GNB from HobbyRC Perform well in high discharge applications (4S3300 at 120A in the Focke Stick and a good few edf's), don't get voltage sag or puff They seem to have gained capacity and reduced weight compared with older types so I think their has been a bit of technology improvements For the space in the model and weight I can normally go up a capacity (measured recharge and it is correct) so a bit of win win. PS IMO you can do as much lab testing as you want, the proof is in the field testing over a longer period 😉

So picking on a Fokker Dr1 as an example Scale Take off - bring the tail up prior to lifting the main wheels and a very gentle climb out Landing - main wheels, hold tail up and use rudder to control yaw/direction Figure of eight Descending circle Chandelle Split S Roll (with ascending entry and descending exit) Barrel roll (with ascending entry and descending exit) Wing over Scissors - or the normal way I fly! Not scale Bunt Axial roll (like if I could!) English bunt How about Spin? Half Cuban Eight Cuban Eight Stall turn Agree, disagree or just add one of your own (explaining how its performed!) Cheers

Or just a Nylon screw, less likely to come loose and go through the prop.

Thanks to those that posted, if at times slightly off topic 😉 And following on from this thread and a couple of days at Buckminster Scale Comp (chatted with Chris Allen and a few other fliers) I now have a better understanding of the scale comp requirements and scale flying (full size or model). As with things in life they are a bit more complicated or if a Douglas Adams fan (if you don't ask a specific, then you won't get a specific answer!) sort of thing. From what I can gather scale flying relies on the pilot having done the research on that type of aircraft and then their selection of manoeuvres to best demonstrate their skill and the performance of the full size aircraft. Now this is where there are a hole load of rabbit holes to disappear down, but I'll side step them as there is a word count limit on posts. The answer (for me) lies somewhere in pilots notes, performance and design specifications for the aircraft of interest and any other technical information for the full size. Its raised a few other questions like whether something should be demonstrated when for the full size is strongly recommended not to do it e.g. aircraft that have very poor spin recovery, so just because you can do it with the model and its within the rules, it would not really be good form to do it in your routine. Just don't mention loops - another rabbit hole/discussion point.. For basic flying like circuits and figures of 8 it seems simple, but then it all changes, well becomes more aircraft specific as to how the manoeuvre is executed. Rabbit hole warning! So thanks for all the info and it looks like I have a lot of bedtime reading in the future 🙂 and a load more flying!

Sorry Martin, perhaps the sun has got to me or was it a week of great flying weather! So no show, but an event and if its anything like the Shipdham that was relaxed, friendly, great flying and very poignant moment with bugle, flag bearer and short reading of remembrance from those that lost their lives on the ground, air and sea (as it was a WW2 airfield). Hope to be there on the 29th.

I might have just miss-heard, but I am sure someone mentioned that the show was on in the next month? Searched the web and LMA web sites and can't find anything relevant. Can anyone add info or point me in the right direction. Thanks

Its worth what someone is willing to pay for it, so if you really want it pay the asking price. If you are not fussed stick with your offer, the seller wont get what he is asking and he will come back to you at some point. PS I wanted a kit and the one I spotted came without UC, bought it then found another kit with UC for about the same amount...now have two kits and one UC. I paid the price because that what I wanted such is life! PS I think you are on the right lines with your offer, kit ages, electronic components could fail and by the time you have checked and swapped a few bits you would be back to the original sale price.

Toto, don't get frustrated, just seek professional help Really simple, call Logic RC, speak to John Norris and he will help you, simple and 100% reliable. If you have some how broken the TX then Logic RC are the UK Spektrum service center.

Thanks all and especially Brian, I pop in to Buckminster on my way back from Norfolk (more like a 2 hour diversion in reality) as its a clear weekend from other events. Stay over one night in the camper van and enjoy the proceedings, great result! Cheers

Ron, the problem with vids and even airshows are that they can differ radically. One air show had a Spitfire do a limp barrel roll as the center piece (rest of the air show was nice), but those that hung on to the end were treated to a Hurricane that was really put through its paces. It included all the usual like loops and rolls plus other things at some very spectacular low altitudes (it really made the show for me). I appreciate some of the limitations are of the aircraft and/or the pilot (position from flight line and altitude). Andy, thanks for the link, but where do they get their information from?

I have a collection that ranges from a DR1, DH Mosquito, Yak55 to a foam T33 so its a general question of "what is scale flying?" I am not interested in what the model can possibly do it the hands of a maestro, but more what the full size is capable of so I can replicate it with the model? Is there a relatively easy why easy way of finding out what a particular aircraft is capable of doing be it a WW1, WW2 or modern era? Example Yak 55 with +9/-6G, roll rate of 345 degrees per second and climb rate of 3,000 ft/min puts it at one extreme, but what can/can't a DR1, Mosquito or T33 do? Loops yes? Bunts? Rolls or are they barrel rolls etc Is there something like full size aircraft pilot notes that specify what an aircraft is capable of?

Having owned and build a few EDF powered models I would note that you should not underestimate the suction that these things can generate. I have had it slowly pull servo cables out of the fuz into the inlet track, see someone else's edf suck unrestrained servo wires right through the fan and take all the blades off on a test run! My FT model can be seen to distort (implode) the fuz when the fan is on full tilt. Clearly more cheat holes are required! As above, just sit the fan housing on some yokes with a dob of hot glue and you should be ok

Only 100ft long and all that concrete...don't think that will get my porky Vulcan off the deck! My bungee is 120 ft fully extended and launched with full pusher power applied! Mind you we do have enough battery capacity to power a linear drive...anything on the interweb on how I make one? PS why launch horizontally?

Only my limited experience and observation as I decided to build Lindsay Todd's Renaissance a few years back due to the forum enthusiasm for mass builds and what really sealed it for me was the meet up at Buckminster for a fly of the models and meet Lindsay for chat! From that experience and when the club I belong to announced a mass build of Peter Miller's Ohmen I was in for one of those. Interestingly most of the active club members built one so we must have ended up with about 8 being built, which has not been repeated since. Why, well in my opinion because if you ask 10 modellers what they would like to build then you get 20 answers! IC is dead for this size and the old boy builders will add/change the design to suit themselves and the youngsters (+ those that find fitting a wing too much like hard work) stick with the standard kit. That just leaves the odd builder that just has to make it 6S and a power to weight ratio of 2:1 Buckminster - yes, 80th D-Day date should be avoided as people will have commitments elsewhere. Put me down for one of each, whatever is decided As has been mentioned, a good flyer essential and I would say value for money but not necessarily cheap. Easy/quickish build preferred (bear in mind how long it takes an Ohmen so anything is a positive). The last and most important thing it will all hinge of spreading the work to club members to get them involved to boost the numbers for Richard. PS Consider the most popular models at clubs, in the past there are a lot for Chris Foss designs, why because they are good fliers, but now priced out of the market. Now the Small Arrows edf's why? They fly well and are relatively cheap

Oh what a good idea, just need the flux capacitor charged up, a time travel device and the will to go back are re-stamp them all. Oh and of course the inability to phone Jon and ask him as that would get both the engine size and whether parts are available or not. What I don't understand is why the incessant bickering about Laser, I don't see any other manufacturers on the forum and TBH if I made engines I won't bother posting anything.

Paul and Mike, if you really want to know then measure it, if not take the subtle hint that the manufacturer does not feel its important for you to know. Its a pointless discussion without knowing all the other factors that go into producing a powerful and reliable engine. Fuel, tune and fly...then repeat until you have worn it out, good luck 🤣

Just to add something that might be helpful as I have been using HobbyRC GNB lipos with good results. Plus there seems to be a bonus with using them, firstly they seem to work well in high load applications (less useful for us, but there is a win there - more later!) and secondly I normally go a capacity up for no weight gain. IIRC a 4S3300 lipo can be replaced with a GNB 4S4000 pack and its lighter with an useful increase in capacity + they are not that much physically much bigger. There is a school of thought that if the lipo voltage doe not sag for the same power then the current is less and on the basis that the battery capacity is in mAh the less amps we pull the longer the battery will take to discharge. The old P=VI equations which I have come across with vey high power set up, the more current drawn the more the voltage sags so there is no more actual power produced...just a hotter more knackered lipo!

Was it not Barry at Mainly Models in Hitchin (nice guy, just didn't like customers, well the ones that picked his brains and then went and bought else where, helped me loads). I thought Bill Manley was the chap at Bill Kits (make me a couple of veneer foam core wings, nice chap), could be wrong though PS FW190 and a Zero